NYR.com: Now that you play for the Rangers, did you find you were treated differently by people up there (Cape Cod)?

Shanahan: I played nine seasons with the Red Wings, and now that I’m a Ranger I get recognized way more (in Cape Cod) than during my nine years there in Detroit. I think the way I used to leave in September and come in the summer, people used to think I was a school teacher. But playing on the East Coast now and playing in New York, the secret’s out among my neighbors as to what I do for a living.

and there will be no arguments on that. The guy’s prolific, consistent and not afraid to toss some speculation in there.

Take a seat Khan(!). Your reign is over.

Updated 2037 EST: I stand corrected. I have no idea how I betrayed my sarcastic roots. MacLeod remains the anti-digger. Khan(!) retains the title.

Updated 1748 EST: this from A2Y reader BDH.

Deep Diggers: Getting Their Asses Handed to Them by the Macomb Daily since April 4, 2007.

Short. Simple. Classic. Just like Freddy Patek.

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland confirmed, Monday, that three free agents with NHL experience will try out at the team’s main camp this week: defensemen Brent Sopel and Jassen Cullimore and forward Aaron Downey.

Starting Monday, Sept. 10, NHL.com is the place to be for hockey fans as we roll out the most exhaustive preview on the 2007-08 NHL season you will find anywhere.

Once again, NHL.com will spotlight an Eastern and Western Conference team each day.

Each team preview will provide a comprehensive look at a club’s goaltending, defense and forward units. In addition, NHL.com’s John Kreiser will break down pertinent stats for each team. And NHL.com’s staff of writers, led by Evan Grossman, Shawn Roarke and John McGourty, also will shine the spotlight on intriguing personalities throughout the League.

Updated 1807 EST: Pete over at Yzerman is God has just posted a very nice take on the Sopel scenario. Check it out here.

He has offensive potential? At least Kronwall and Lebda are young for all we hear that phrase. And he doesn’t look like a defensive stud either. You replace him with Lilja and what do you get? No better on defense, less physicality, oh yeah, and the almighty slapper. Let’s talk about that.

Some real sound analysis of the Wing PP strategy follows that quote. Good stuff Pete.

———

Two days until the Wings descend on sleepy TC and the intrigue is starting to build. Two names have great potential to throw the whole damn thing into a tailspin the likes we haven’t seen since the Edmund Fitzgerald braved the Superior one fateful night in, umm, some year in the 60’s I think.

Sopel and Grigorenko. Add them to the mix and the main hatchway’s giving in brother because we’re going to have a full load of forwards and a bursting blue line.

New York Rangers: No team made a bigger splash in the free-agent market than the Rangers. And having added twin centers Chris Drury and Scott Gomez, expectations are higher for the Rangers than at any time since their 1994 Stanley Cup win. Drury and Gomez have three Stanley Cup rings between them and give the team terrific depth down the middle. With Brendan Shanahan (29 goals in his first season on Broadway) back, the Rangers should boast two dangerous forward lines to complement sterling goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, who was 37-22-8 in his sophomore season in the Rangers nets.

Burning questions
• So, which of Gomez or Drury gets the job of making magic with Jagr?
• Is this no-name defense strong enough to win a Stanley Cup?
• With Weekes gone, does highly touted goaltending prospect Al Montoya get a chance to strut his stuff on the big stage?

The idea for STOP came from a single, almost tragic, incident in 1996. Stubbington, a volunteer coach and former referee-in-chief for the Windsor Minor Hockey Association for more than 20 years, was coaching a springtime peewee club when a player was shoved from behind and knocked out.

“We were scared to death,” Stubbington said. “I was shaking and came home that night and thought that this has got to stop. These kids are getting vicious,” he said of the 12 and 13-year-olds. “We have to teach the kids to have more respect for each other.”

Oh alright. No, he didn’t actually say that. But James Mirtle, writing for AOL’s Fan House, agrees with all other smart people in saying it would take some sort of wacked-out science fiction scenario to keep the Central crown out of Hockeytown.

Detroit may remain an old team by NHL standards, but that’s not going to stop them from winning a seventh consecutive Central Division title. Given the league’s ridiculously unbalanced schedule, one that will see the Red Wings face Chicago/Columbus/Nashville/St. Louis 32 times this season, it’s going to be relatively easy pickings as long as Hasek remains healthy.

Empty Netters asked Pens fans to submit their opinions of the new Penguins sweater…

“As a female hockey fan, I applaud any company that finally makes a jersey that comes in a size small so female fans can show their team spirit - in the team colors (not a ridiculous pink version) in a size that does not overwhelm us.

If the players like the new uniforms and they represent the image of the team well, there shouldn’t be any whining by the non-players. I think the minor changes to the striping and the sleeves jazz it up a bit. They don’t make that much of a change, nor are they completely out of place. We have our trusty skating penguin logo and our black and gold. What more could you want?...”

I could write about Gary Bettman of the NHL. I’ve been a hockey fan all my life, but Bettman is turning me off his vile business. Bettman’s anti-Canadian stance is akin to racism, the horrors of which have been written about extensively. I live in Hamilton and many of my friends here are sick of his mistreatment and have become fans of the Raptors.

I could write about Karma. I don’t know if I believe in God or not, but I believe in Karma and Karma has a nuclear warhead destined for Gary Bettman’s NHL. It was launched in Hamilton (near my house). The league is doomed to crash like the housing market.

Esche spent last week in Pittsburgh working out with the Penguins. The 29-year-old Esche got his foot in the door via his friend Mark Recchi, an 18-year NHL vet and Penguins assistant captain. Practicing against young stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Esche showed off his new and improved physique to the Penguins executives.

“I lost a lot of weight this summer,” Esche said. “I feel good and quick, something that I never really had in the NHL. I’ve never been in that good of shape.”

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